Postny wins Nancy Chess Festival Group A

by ChessBase
3/10/2010 – 168 players took part in the biggest chess festival of closed tournaments in France, with seventeen groups, from the A Group (ten players, average 2526 Elo) all the way to the last group with an average Elo of about 1300. Israeli GM Evgeny Postny won first place with 6.0/9. The venue, the “Conseil General”, is normally reserved for local government meetings. IM Christophe Philippe reports.

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8th International Chess Festival of "Meurthe et Moselle"
in Nancy (France) – 22nd - 28th February 2010

Report by IM Christophe Philippe

This chess event could not have been organised without the strong support of four main sponsors: The “Conseil General”, where the tournament takes place, the French Chess Federation, the bank “Populaire Lorraine Champagne” and the cultural product shop “FNAC”.

The A tournament contained four strong GMs: Postny (Elo 2648), Granda Zuniga (2635), Pelletier (2602) and Solodonivchenko (2578). And six International Masters: the Bulgarian Ninov (who qualified last year by winning group B), the French players Charnushevich, Wirig, Mullon, Brunner, and the special guest Sophie Milliet, reigning French Women's champion.

The strong Israeli GM Evgeny Postny won first place with 6.0/9, and Julio Granda Zuniga and Nikolai Ninov (who scored his first GM norm by winning his last round against Pelletier) finished equal second with 5.5/9.

In group B, Ukrainian IM Dmitry Stets won easily with 6.5/9, and Xavier Bedouin of France finished second with 6.0/9, scoring his third and final IM norm which bings him the precious title.

Picture gallery


The playing hall, with groups C and D on the outside, groups A and B inside the circle


Normally this is the assembly room for voting on laws and budgets


The chess week began with a traditionnal simul in the “FNAC” shop, this year by
Peruvian legend Julio Granda Zuniga, who scored 16 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses.


Some days later, Granda Zuniga at work in the Group A tournament


A round eight clash in Group A: Yannick Pelletier vs Evgeny Postny (draw in 52)


Granda Zuniga against local IM Nicolas Brunner, who almost made a GM norm


Postny won the tournament, but also crushed his 20
opponents in a final simul before closing ceremony


Reigning French champion IM Sophie Milliet could not avoid last place, despite good fighting spirit


An IM norm for Xavier Bedouin with 6.0/9 in Group B


Ukrainian WIM Svetlana Fomichenko finished fourth in group C with 5.0/9


French number nine Laurie Delorme (from Marseille) finished 6th in Group C with 4.5/9


GM Pelletier from Switzerland finished 4th in the A Group with 5.0/9


Easy victory for Dmitry Stets in group B with 6.5/9


23 young players took part at the rapid tournament for children on Wednesday


The I Group playing in a different section of the complex


French IM Anthony Wirig (originally from this region Lorraine) failed to scored his
third and final GM norm, which would have brought him the title


View of analysis and resting area


Spectators watch the very last game of the 2010 festival, Granda Zuniga vs Solodonivchenko (draw in 61)


The organisation team: Stephane Dupré from “Conseil General”, arbiters Nadir Bounzou and Florence Schlotter, tournament director and creator IM Christophe Philippe, and specialist for Internet broadcast and also talented video interviewer IM Etienne Mensch.


At the prize giving ceremony, with Postny winning group A


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